Goodbye, Seattle

My stay in the rural small-town environment of Tieton this past year and a half was a dry run prelude to the Final Big Move from Seattle. After months of thoughtful preparation followed by tons of work, I am more than ready to leave the rush of city living behind with no regrets. 

It is now early autumn, 2023, and the reimagined 1918 era home and garden I lived in since 1974 will be listed for sale this coming week. I’ll be staying in Tieton during the open house showing period and then returning to Seattle to wrap up details. I would not turn down your good luck lighted candles for a successful sale to appreciative new owners.

But to be honest, I long to wake up to the sounds of mourning doves again instead of the roar of aggressive city traffic. I’ll be glad to leave my car behind and walk 5 minutes to the post office and Tieton’s friendly, welcoming neighborhood restaurants. I look forward to my familiar solo walks through the high desert, shrub steppe landscape of Cowiche Canyon and Snow Mountain Ranch. And most of all, I’ll welcome the quiet I have always valued and sought out as a visual artist. Tieton offered that gift of simplicity to me since I discovered it several years ago, and I want to go back to my new, real home.

Tomorrow I’ll take some cuttings from my beloved magnolia tree above the Kuan Yin statue in the small front entry garden.

I’ll savor the sunset view of The Brothers mountain from my front door.

But other vistas have already called me to my new permanent home in Central Washington, and it is time.

Sandra Dean, Visual Artist
Tieton, Washington USA